SOME TOPICS TO BE COVERED:

• How to introduce yourself and shake hands
• How to use proper keyboarding technique and build minimal skill
• What is the difference between gross and net pay
• What are your personal and financial goals
• Examine current sources of income and spending behaviors and patterns
• Complete a basic job application
• How to act on the job and how to keep a job
• Complete a time sheet and compute regular and overtime wages
• Interpret a pay stub
• Know and use the concept, “Paying Yourself First”
• What are the most common saving methods
• Compute simple and compound interest
• What is “Identity Theft” and how to avoid it
• Create a monthly calendar in MS Publisher
• Prepare business correspondence: e-mail, personal letter, personal-business letter and business letter
• Prepare a short report in MLA format

CLASS RULES

1. Students who miss class are responsible for making up any work missed during the absence. It is also the responsibility of the student to find out what work was missed.

2. Students are not allowed to use flash drives in the classroom without first checking with the teacher.

3. Every assignment is expected to be the student’s own work. If a student hands in an assignment that is not his/her work, he/she will receive a grade of zero.

4. The student is responsible for the equipment assigned to him/her. The equipment should be handled with extra care. The teacher must be notified of any problems with the equipment. Students are responsible for keeping his/her work area neat and clean.

5. No student is allowed on the Internet, play computer games or do any other activities on the computer other than those directed by the teacher.

6. Students are expected to be on time to class each day.

7. No food or drinks are allowed in class.

8. Please do not use hand lotions, body creams, perfume, hairspray, makeup, etc., in the room.

9. All students are expected to treat the teacher and their peers with respect. The use of foul language is not allowed.

10. Students are not allowed to roll around in the chairs.

11. No hats, headbands, headsets or sunglasses are to be worn in class.

12. All cell phones, ipods, pagers, or any other electronic equipment must be turned off and put away before entering the classroom.

Any infraction of the above rules may result in a teacher detention, a call home, and/or a disciplinary referral to the office.

EXAMPLES OF PAYCHECK DEDUCTIONS

Gross Pay
The amount of money earned before deductions are taken.

Federal Income Tax
Federal Income Tax is a progressive tax. A progressive tax is a type of tax where the tax rate expressed as a percentage increases as the amount to which the rate is applied increases.

Federal Insurance Compensation Act (FICA)
FICA is the official name for Social Security and Medicare taxes. The social security tax is a certain percentage of your gross income.

State and Local Income Taxes
The tax rate depends on which state and town you live in.

Net Pay
Your net pay--often called your "take home pay"--is the remaining amount you get to keep after all deductions are removed from your gross (or total) pay.

SAMPLE PAY STUBS

click on image to enlarge

PRACTICE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

It's a good idea to practice the questions below before an interview. You may copy and paste them into Microsoft Word and answer them there.

QUESTIONS ASKED BY EMPLOYERS

How would you describe yourself?

How do you think a friend who knows you well would describe you?

How has your high school experience prepared you for a job?

Why should I hire you?

What qualifications do you have that make you think that you will be successful at this job?

In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to this business?

What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction, and why?

Why did you choose this job?

Do you think your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement, and why?

What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?

In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?

How do you work under pressure?

What do you know about this company?

Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?

What major challenge have you encountered and how did you deal with it?

Add questions here:




QUESTIONS YOU MAY WANT TO ASK ON AN INTERVIEW:

What would a normal day be like?

Is it possible to move through the training program faster?

How much contact is there with management?

Is this position more analytical or people-oriented?

How soon can I expect to be advanced to the next level?

Will I be expected to meet certain deadlines? How frequent are they?

How often are performance reviews given?

Does the company provide any educational benefits?


Add questions here:

TIPS FOR BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE INTERVIEW

• Before the interview put together a folder of things you may need and include the following:
  
  · Birth certificate
  · Social security card
  · Working permit (if applicable)
  · Driver’s license
  · Diploma
  · Personal data sheet with previous employment information
  · Copy of your job application
  · Copy of your resume
  · Copy of your references (including addresses and phone numbers)
  · A black pen to complete any forms or tests, and paper to take notes

• Show up 10-15 minutes early for your scheduled interview. Never show up late.
• Dress neatly, conservatively but also casually. Avoid trendy clothes, jeans, or personal identity statements (like a Mohawk or political t-shirt) unless they are fitting to the job.
• Remove piercings that may be objectionable and obvious to an employer such as a facial piercing and keep tattoos covered.
• Shake hands and remain standing until offered a seat. Clearly and confidently state your name and thank the interviewer for seeing you.
• Avoid giving speeches when asked questions. Keep your answers concise and to the point.
• Whenever possible prepare your answers in advance. There are some standard interview questions you can expect. (practice interview questions)
• Know a bit about the company you are applying to work at and details about the job you are after.
• Do not be afraid to ask questions of your own. In fact, many interviewers consider the “do you have any questions” part of an interview to be very telling about a potential employees work ethic and job expectations.
• Never lie about your availability. If you can only work weekends, say so. If you can’t work any later than 9 pm make it clear right away.
• Ask when the interviewer expects to have made a decision and if they will be contacting all applicants or only those who are hired. Make a point of following up via telephone 2 business days after your interview.
• Before leaving thank the interviewer again and shake hands. Smile and make eye contact as you leave.

PRACTICE PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS

WHAT IS THE NET PAY?

GROSS PAY (hint: multiply number of hours per week by the pay per hour)

$8.50 PER HOUR
40 HOURS PER WEEK

Answer: $8.50 x 40=$340

DEDUCTIONS (hint: change percent to decimal by moving the decimal 2 places to the left. Multiply the gross pay above by the decimal)

FICA=6.2%
6.2%=.062
Answer: $340 x .062=$21.08

MEDICARE TAX=1.45%
1.45%=.0145
Answer: $340 x .0145=$4.93

UNEMPLOYMENT=.5%
.5%=.005
Answer: $340 x .005=$1.70

DISABILITY=.6%
.6%=.006
Answer: $340 x .006=$2.04

FEDERAL INCOME TAX=2%
2%=.02
Answer: $340 x .02=$6.80

STATE INCOME TAX=3%
3%=.03
Answer: $340 x .03=$10.20

TOTAL DEDUCTIONS

Answer: $21.08 + $4.93 + $1.70 + $2.04 + $6.80 + $10.20 = $46.75

NET PAY (hint: subtract the total deductions from the gross pay)

Answer: $340-$46.75 = $293.25

$293.25 is your net pay also known as your “take home pay”

HOW TO SET UP A REPORT

HOW TO TYPE A REPORT WITH A TITLE PAGE, ENDNOTES & REFERENCES
DIRECTIONS

ALL MARGINS AT 1”: CLICK ON FILE, PAGE SETUP, AND CHANGE LEFT, RIGHT, TOP AND BOTTOM.

PAGE #: CLICK ON INSERT, PAGE NUMBER, TOP OF PAGE, AND RIGHT. REMOVE CHECKMARK NEXT TO “SHOW NUMBER ON FIRST PAGE”. CLICK ON FORMAT, CLICK ON “START AT” AND TYPE 0 IN THE BOX. CLICK OK AND OK AGAIN. THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO NUMBER YOUR PAGES BUT NOT THE TITLE PAGE.

DOUBLE SPACE: HOLD DOWN CTRL + 2

RAISED NUMBER: HOLD DOWN CTRL + SHIFT AND KEY + (USE THIS ALSO TO TURN IT OFF)

ENDNOTES PAGE: Begin your Endnotes page by centering the title “Endnotes” or Notes 1 inch from the top of the page. Double-space your entries, indent the first line of each Endnote citation one tab from the left margin, do not indent subsequent lines, add a superscripted Endnote citation number at the beginning of each citation, leave one space after the superscripted number, and list entries in the same numerical order as they appear in the text of your paper.

Sample Endnotes & Works Cited Pages


WORKS CITED PAGE: Begin your Works Cited page by centering the title “Works Cited” 1 inch from the top of the page. Double-space your entries; indent the 2nd and subsequent lines from the left margin (to do this, hold down the CTRL key + T). Place all works cited in alphabetical order by author.

Sample Endnotes & Works Cited Pages